Delegates at the ceremony visit a booth displaying model of bullets. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – A ceremony has been held in Hà Nội to announce the project for receiving bomb and mine clearance equipment funded by Japan for the Việt Nam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC).

Speaking at the February 28 event, Colonel Lê Quang Hợp, Deputy General Director of VNMAC, noted that the project would include the acquisition of four specialised pieces of equipment for mine clearance, as well as training and technology transfer. The initiative would provide hands-on training and technical guidance for VNMAC personnel on the latest demining technologies.

This project is a priority in Việt Nam’s 2010-25 national mine action programme, aimed at minimising the impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left over from wartime.

Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Ito Naoki recalled that on December 21, 2024, he and Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence, signed an exchange of notes in Hà Nội for the provision of mine clearance equipment for Việt Nam. The initiative, valued at JPY500 million (US$3.31 million), was part of Japan’s non-refundable aid programme for VNMAC.

The ambassador expressed his hope that the project would enhance Việt Nam’s demining efforts, ensuring safer living conditions for communities in affected areas and fostering economic and social development.

Chiến, for his part, expressed deep gratitude to the Japanese Government and people for their meaningful support and highlighted Japan as a long-standing and important partner of Việt Nam.

He noted that over more than half a century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Việt Nam-Japan cooperation had yielded numerous positive and remarkable achievements, particularly in development projects supported by Japan for Việt Nam.

The deputy minister affirmed that the modern equipment provided by Japan would significantly improve the country’s demining capabilities, accelerate the national mine action programme, and strengthen VNMAC’s role in UXO remediation and environmental protection. VNS